Circular loom



y 9 F. c. HALE 2080713 cI cUpAR poem 4 Filed April 5. 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 18, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIRCULAR LOOM Application April 3, 1936, Serial No. 72,457

In Great Britain May 20, 1935 8 Claims.

This invention relates to circular looms of the type in which the shuttles are held in place within the warp sheds by means of rotatable vaned wheels disposed outside the warp shed and adapted to pass through one sheet of the warps into contact with the shuttle, the threads of the sheet penetrated by the vane wheels passing between the vanes during relative rotation between the warps and the shuttles.

In circular looms in which the velocity of the shuttles in relation to the warps is great, as is necessary in order to obtain high output, and especially in looms employing delicate textile threads, it is highly important that in the event of damage to the warps or other occurrence likely to lead to warp jamming, weaving should be brought to an end with great rapidity so as to avoid the shuttles attempting to continue their relative motion with respect to the warps and stretching or breaking the jammed threads. Stop mechanism adapted to bring about rapid cessation of weaving by bringing the relative motion between shuttles and warps to an end irrespective of whether or not other motions incidental to the looms working cease are described in U. S. Patents Nos. 1,822,292, 2,007,397, 1,968,041, 1,984,798, 2,019,608 and 2,027,459.

In looms in which the shuttles themselves rtate about the loom axis, the stop motion operates to apply a brake to the rotating member by which the shuttles, through the action of the vane wheels, are supported. The vane wheels themselves are rotated because of the rotation of this supporting member carrying gears in connection with the vane wheel shafts round the loom periphery and causing these gears to be driven by engagement with a toothed gear extending round the loom. Consequently, when the Supporting member is brought to rest, the vane wheels also cease to rotate. Similarly, in looms in which the warps rotate, the stop motion may serve to put the supporting member into rotation, this resulting in the vane wheels slowing down until, when shuttles and warps are moving at the same speed, the vane wheels do not rotate.

It is an object of the invention to improve the vane wheel mechanism in circular looms of the type indicated.

According to the invention a free wheel mechanism is interposed between the vane wheels and the driving means for the vane wheels so as to make the vane wheels capable of overrunning the driving means. Consequently, when relative. motion between the shuttles and the warps ceases, the vane wheels can continue their rotation.

Therefore, when the loom stop mechanism is called on to bring weaving to an end, the stop mechanism is relieved of the necessity for rapidly overcoming the momentum of the vane wheels themselves. Since the vane wheels in a multishuttle loom are both numerous and, because of their high speed of rotation, are possessed of considerable momentum, the invention enables relative rotation to be brought to an end in a much shorter space of time than if it had to overcome the rotation of the vane wheels themselves. Furthermore, by the vane wheels continuing their rotation the danger of the warps being stretched or broken by the vane wheels is lessened, in addition to the advantage in this direction due to the more rapid stopping of the shuttles.

The free wheel mechanism may be applied at any convenient point in the drive to the vane wheels, but preferably as near as possible to the point at which the vane wheel drive is derived from the loom drive, so as to permit not only the vane wheels to continue rotating, but also as much as possible of any gearing sharing in their rotation. For example, in a rotating shuttle loom of the type referred to above, the free wheel mechanism may be disposed close to the gears which are in driving connection with the toothed gear and the vane wheel shafts so as to allow of the greater part of the mechanism transmitting the drive to the vane wheels, as well as the vane wheels themselves, to continue rotating.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in connection with its appplication to different forms of vane wheel drive, the drawings showing several forms of free wheel devices.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view largely in section of the vane wheel driving mechanism for one shuttle;

Fig. 2 is a plan view corresponding to'Fig. 1 showing the tangential disposition of the vane wheel shafts;

Fig. 3 shows to an enlarged scale a detail of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of an alternative form of vane wheel drive; I

Fig. 5 is a detail of Fig. 4 in side elevation; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are two views of an alternative form of free wheel device suitable for use with the drive shown in Fig. 4, Fig. 7 being-taken on the line l'l of Fig. 6.

The shuttles l are mounted for rotation along the normal line 2, the propulsion of each shuttle being efiected by means of vane wheels 3 fixed on a tangential shaft 4 mounted on columns 5 and carried on a ring 6 driven by any suitable means (not shown) The shafts 4 are connected by bevel gears 1, 8 to a shaft 9, the lower end ID of which is provided with a gear wheel II meshing with a fixed gear, the pitch of the circle of which is shown by the dotted line l2. As the shaft-supporting ring 6 rotates round the loom, the gear I l is carried round the gear l2 to rotate the shaft 9 and therefore the shaft 4 carrying the vane wheels 3.

The vane wheels are required to rotate ata high speed, this being effected by the large ratio between the gear l2 and gear H, and also by the multiplying action of the bevel gears 8, 1. The vane wheels and the shafts 4 and 9 and the gears connected with the shafts acquire a high momentum. If, therefore, the shaft-supporting ring 6 is brought suddenly to rest to stop the rotation of the shuttles I about the loom, the connection of the gears II with the gear 12 causes the momentum of the rapidly rotating parts to resist the stopping action. In the arrangement shown, however, the effect of this momentum is substantially eliminated by making the lower part [0 of the shaft 9 separate from the main portion of the shaft, the main portion thus serving as an intermediate shaft between the lower driving or geared portion I0 and the vane wheel shaft 4.

As shown in greater detail in Fig. 3, collars l3 are provided a short distance from the approaching ends of the intermediate shaft 9 and the geared shaft 10, and between the collars the shafts are surrounded by a coiled spring I4 of such a diameter that it contracts itself on the shafts. The spring I4 is coiled in such a direction that during the anti-clockwise rotation of the geared shaft ID as viewed in Fig. 2, the frictional engagement between the shaft and the spring tends totighten the spring still further on the shaft, so causing the spring to turn with the shaft. The spring similarly tends to tighten itself still further on the intermediate shaft 9, thereby establishing a driving connection between the two shafts. When, however, the shaftsupporting ring '6 is brought to res-t, the geared shaft H3 becomesstationary, and the continued rotation of the intermediate shaft 9 due to the momentum of this shaft and the shaft 4 carrying the vane wheels 3 together with the associated gears, drives the spring M in such a direction as to tend to release the grip of the spring coils on the shaft. Instead, therefore, of this momentum having to be overcome suddenly, there remains only the momentum due to the rotation of the vane wheels, shafts and associated gears about the axis of the loom.

When the intermediate shaft 9 ultimately comes to rest, the spring i4 automatically re-exerts its grip, leaving the shaft 9 ready to be driven once more when the ring 6 is againset in motion. The gap l5 between the approaching ends of the shafts 9, [0 should be narrow enough to prevent the entry of a turn of the spring l4.

Referring now to Fig. 4, the shuttle I is propelled round the loom by vane wheels 3' mounted on a shaft 4 carried in a bracket l5 mounted on a rotatable shaft-supporting ring IT. The ring 11. is provided with .a gear ring 18 driven by means of a'gear wheel IS on a shaft 20.

Helical gears 2|, 22 connect the shaft 4 with a short radial shaft 23 terminating at its outer end agear 24 meshing with a stationary gear ring 25. Thus, .during the rotation of the ring ii the gear 24 is carried round the ring 25 to rotate the vane wheels 3 at a high speed.

The gear 22 is free on the shaft 23 and is provided with an internal ratchet wheel 26 with the teeth of which a pawl or pawls 2'! engage. These pawls pass through a slot 28 in the shaft 2-3 and are pressed apart by means of a spring 29.

Whenthe shaft 23 is driven by the gear 24 (clockwise as viewed in Fig. 5) the pawls 21 positively engage the teeth of the ratchet member 26 and so drive the gear 22 and the vane wheels 3. When the ring I! is brought to rest the vane wheels 3 and their shaft 4 are free to over-run, the ratchet member:26 rotating idly round the pawls 21. The mechanism is thus freed from suddenly overcoming the momentum of the vane wheels 3 and shaft 4, leaving only the shaft 23 to continue its rotation.

If desired the free wheel device may be disposed at the end of the shaft 23 near the gear 24 so as to cut down to a large extent the momentum of this shaft also.

In the alternative form of ratchet device shown in Figs. Sand '7, the ratchet mechanism is incorporated within the gear 22. A ratchet wheel 33 is secured to the shaft 23, and during the driving of the shaft 23 positively engages pawls 3i disposed internally of the gear 22 and pressed by springs 32 towards the ratchet wheel. When the shaft 23 stops suddenly, the pawls 3| overrun the ratchet wheel 30, thus allowing the vane wheels 3 to continue their rotation.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a circular loom in which rotatable vane wheels are provided to pass between the warp threads into engagement with a shuttle to position the shuttle within a warp shed, vane Wheel driving means, and a free wheel mechanism interposed between said driving means and the vane wheels to make the vane wheels capable of over-running the driving means.

2. In a circular loom in which rotatable vane wheels are provided to pass'between the Warp threads into engagement with a shuttle to position the shuttle within a warp shed, a rotatable shaft for supporting and driving the vane wheels, driving means for rotating said shaft, and a free wheel mechanism interposed between said driving means and the shaft to make the shaft and the vane wheels capable of over-running the driving means.

3. In a circular loom in which rotatable vane wheels are provided to pass between the warp threads into engagement with .a shuttle to position the shuttle within a warp shed, vane wheel driving-means including a driving shaft, an intermediate shaft terminating at one end in substantial alignment with said driving shaft, and a coiled spring disposed around the aligned ends of the driving shaft and the intermediate shaft and adapted to tighten on the ends of said shafts to enable the driving shaft to drive the intermediate shaft in one direction, the spring being capable of slackening to permit over-running of the intermediate shaft and the vane wheel shaft and vane wheels.

4. In a circular loom in which rotatable vane wheels are provided to pass between the warp threads into engagement with a shuttle to position the shuttle within a warp shed, a ring be tween which and the warp threads there is rela tive circular motion with respect to the loom axis, a shaft carried by said ring and adapted to support and drive said Vane wheels, a gear ring between which and said shaft-supporting ring there is relative circular motion with respect to the loom axis, means connecting the gear ring and the vane wheel shaft so as to rotate the shaft during relative motion between the gear ring and the shaft-supporting ring, and a free wheel mechanism interposed between the connecting means and the vane wheel shaft to make the vane wheel shaft and vane wheels capable of over-running the connecting means.

5. In a circular loom in which rotatable vane wheels are provided to pass between the warp threads into engagement with a shuttle to posi tion the shuttle within a warp shed, a ring between which and the warp threads there is relative circular motion with respect to the loom axis, a shaft for supporting and driving the vane wheels, means for mounting said shaftpn the ring at a higher level than the ring, a gear ring disposed at substantially the same level as the shaft-supporting ring and between which and said shaft-supporting ring there is relative circular motion with respect to the loom axis, a gear in engagement with the gear ring, an intermediate shaft between said gear and said vane wheel shaft and in driving connection with the latter, and a free wheel mechanism interposed between the gear and the intermediate shaft 6. In a circular loom in which rotatable vane wheels are provided to pass between the Warp threads into engagement with a shuttle to position the shuttle witln'n a warp shed, a ring between which and the warp threads ther is relative circular motion with respect to the loom axis, a shaft for supporting and driving the vane wheels, means for mounting said shaft on the ring at a higher level than the ring, a gear ring disposed at substantially the same level as the shaft-supporting ring and between which and said shaft-supporting ring there is relative circular motion with respect to the loom axis, a geared shaft in engagement with said gear ring, an intermediate shaft in engagement with said vane wheel shaft and terminating at one end in substantial alignment with the geared shaft, and a coiled spring disposed around the x threads into engagement with a shuttle to position the shuttle Within a warp shed, a vane wheel driving gear ring, a rotatable shaft for supporting and driving the vane wheels, a shaft-supporting ring between which and the warp threads there is relative circular motion with respect to the loom axis, means for mounting the vane wheel shaft on the shaft-supporting ring at sub stantially the same level as the gear ring and at a lesser radial distance from the loom axis than the teeth of the gear ring, means including a shaft forming a driving connection between the gear ring and the vane wheel shaft, and a free wheel mechanism incorporated in said driving connection to make the vane wheel shaft and vane Wheels capable of over-running the driving shaft.

8. In a circular loom in which rotatable vane wheels are provided to pass between the warp threads into engagement with a shuttle to position the shuttle within a warp shed, a ring between which and the warp threads there is relative circular motion with respect to the loom axis, a shaft for supporting and. driving the vane wheels, means for mounting said shaft on the ring at a higher level than the ring, a gear ring disposed at substantially the same level as the shaft-supporting ring and between which and said shaft-supporting ring there is relative circular motion with respect to the loom axis, a gear in engagement with the gear ring, an intermediate shaft between said gear and said vane wheel shaft, bevel gearing forming a driving connection between the intermediate shaft and the vane Wheel shaft, and a free Wheel mechanism interposed between the intermediate shaft and the gear in,engagement with the gear ring.

FRANK CORBYN HALE. 

